“Not even remotely.” I traced a finger down the bridge of his nose. Slade shivered as I allowed my finger to drag a line over his Adam’s apple, then to his chest. “But let’s not talk any more tonight. You need to get some sleep.”
“Yes, Daddy.” I glared at him, my mouth drawn tightly into a frown.
“The next time you call me that, you had better be prepared for what I’ll do to you,” I warned. I pushed the door further open, sliding my hand into Slade’s. “Which way to your room?”
Slade quirked an eyebrow. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“You act as if I should know where everything is. Remember, this is the first time I’ve been here. Hell, until a few hours ago, I had only heard your name in passing.”
“All bad things I’m sure,” he muttered under his breath. I was positive I hadn’t been meant to hear it, but I had. Part of me wanted to try and figure out why he assumed people were talking badly about him, and another part of me wanted to sit down with Doug and Eli to see what they thought of him. But I had never once asked for outside guidance before, and I wasn’t going to start now.
I worked to school my features when Slade pushed open his bedroom door. There was barely any floor visible. I would’ve thought the closet and dresser drawers would be empty, given the number of shirts and pants strewn everywhere, but a quick glance when Slade turned on the small lamp next to the bed showed the dresser drawers bulging to the point one was missing the face.
“I warned you I was a mess. I didn’t just mean my head.”
“Well, they say knowing is half the battle,” I responded, trying to keep my tone light. “And I’m sure you’ll pick up before the next time I come over.”
“What makes you think there’s going to be a next time?” Either Slade was attempting to dismiss me, or he was hoping to seduce me as he stripped out of his thin t-shirt. Next, he shimmied his hips as he worked the tattered denim down his legs.
Neither motivation would work. I stalked across the room, kneeling down to untie his shoes. He gaped at me, his mouth opening and closing as if he had a question he couldn’t put into words. I tapped his leg and Slade lifted his foot. “There’s going to be a next time, Slade. I refuse to believe this is it for us.”
Once I helped Slade finish taking off his jeans, I leaned in and kissed the front of his thigh. He wasn’t hard. If tonight wasn’t the first night we’d met, and if I hadn’t promised him I wouldn’t take advantage of him, I would have cupped my hand over his cock and balls, testing to see if it was a lack of interest or the alcohol keeping his libido at bay. When I kissed Slade’s other thigh, he sucked in a sharp hiss of breath. “You don’t want this to be it for us either, do you?”
I tipped my head back, holding my breath while I waited for Slade’s answer. No doubt about it, I was a man who went after whatever he wanted, but when it came to sexual arrangements or relationships, I would never pursue a man who didn’t want to be chased. “Answer me, Slade.”
I slid my hands around to the backs of his thighs, never blinking while I gave him time to think.
When Slade responded, his answer was so soft I barely heard him. “No.”
“I need more to go on, boy.” His single word answer left far too much open to interpretation.
Slade’s Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed hard. “I don’t want this to be all there is…”
The unspoken “but” hung thick in the air between us.
I leaned against the edge of the mattress for support as I stood. The grinding of my knees reminded me of every year I had lived before Slade had been born. “Whatever you’re thinking, you can tell me, Slade.” I cupped the back of his head, leaning in to place a tender kiss to the center of his forehead. “There are no right or wrong answers here, as long as you're honest with me.”
Rather than elaborate, Slade flopped onto the bed, rolling away from me. He gripped the pillow tightly, hugging it to his chest for comfort. “Why are you pushing for this? You could leave, and I’m sure there is still time for you to find someone to service you before the bars close.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am a man, not a car.”
He harrumphed in amusement. I wished his back wasn’t to me so I could see if my joke had made him smile. I hoped so. While I had yet to be granted anything other than a sullen or pissed off expression, I knew he’d be beautiful when he smiled. “You could have anyone. You don’t need a wreck like me.”
“True as that may be, I haven’t walked away, have I?” I sat as far to the edge of the bed as possible without falling to the floor. When I placed a hand on Slade’s side, he scooted back toward me.
Progress.
“I’m here because there’s something about you I find intriguing. And I think we could be good for one another,” I admitted.
“What could I possibly have to offer someone like you,” Slade scoffed. “You don’t need me.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” I responded. “You look at me and you see the tailored suit and my fancy car, but do you really know anything about me?”
Slade shrugged.
“Answer me,” I insisted, my voice gravelly and rough.
“Not really,” he admitted. “But I’ve known enough guys like you to realize you won’t stick around for long.”
